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Many Egyptian plants are known to be of potential medicinal value and are used in herbal medicine. Seven of the most important medicinal plants in the literature on Egyptian traditional and popular medicine are ‘Halfa barr’ (Cympobogon proximus), ‘Salam’ (Acacia ehrenbergiana), ‘Kharaaz’ (Acacia albida), ‘Ghalqa’ (Pergularia tomentosa), ‘Argel’ (Solenostemma arghel), ‘Hegleeg’ (Balanites aegyptiaca) and ‘Handal’ (Citrullus colocynthis). These seven plants and the soils in which they were growing were analysed for minor (Zn, Cu, Se, Mn and Fe) and major elements (K, Na, Ca, Mg), among which selenium ranging from 0.058 to 0.600 (mg kg−1) was found to be present at trace levels in all the plants studied. The highest concentration was that of zinc, ranging from 15.4 to 73.7 (mg kg−1). Although some plants were found to accumulate elements, their contents are still below the international safety limits for both human and animal consumption.

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The steam distillates of the family Myrtaceae are often found to contain the three isomeric sesquiterpene alcohols, α-, β- and γ-eudesmol. Associated with these alcohols but not steam-distilled with them are two hydrates of eudesmol, cryptomeridiol and 4-epicryptomeridiol, compounds which have not been previously reported in the Myrtaceae. These five alcohols are the major by-products of the hydrolysis of hedycaryol, which can occur during leaf ageing or distillation. The use of H218O during distillation implicated the presence of hedycaryol prior to distillation by trapping the eudesmyl-carbocation formed during the hydrolysis.

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In addition to four previously reported compounds: proximadiol (1), 5ÃŽÂ±-hydroxy-ÃŽÂ²-eudesmol (2), 1ÃŽÂ²-hydroxy-ÃŽÂ²-eudesmol (4) and 1ÃŽÂ²-hydroxy-ÃŽÂ±-eudesmol (5), two new sesquiterpenes, 5ÃŽÂ±-hydroperoxy-ÃŽÂ²-eudesmol (3) and 7ÃŽÂ±,11-dihydroxycadin-10(14)-ene (6) were isolated from the unsaponifiable fraction of the petroleum ether extract of Cymbopogon proximus STAPF. Isolation of compounds 2, 4 and 5 from the genus Cymbopogon is reported for the first time. The structure elucidation of these compounds was based primarily on 1D and 2D-NMR analyses.

Molecules 09/2003; 8(9). DOI:10.3390/80900670 · 2.10 Impact Factor

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